Monday, December 3, 2018 –Today, Lung Cancer Alliance, in collaboration with GRAIL, Inc., a healthcare company focused on the early detection of cancer, UCL (University College London) and University College London Hospitals National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust (UCLH) announced plans to initiate the SUMMIT study in early 2019. SUMMIT, which will be conducted in the United Kingdom, is a prospective, observational, longitudinal, cohort study designed to enroll approximately 50,000 men and women age 50 to 77 years who do not have a cancer diagnosis at the time of enrollment. The study will evaluate the ability of an investigational blood test using next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology to detect multiple cancer types, including lung cancer. Approximately half the participants will be people at high risk for lung and other cancers due to a significant smoking history, and the other half will be people who are not at high risk for cancer based on smoking history.

SUMMIT also supports the goal of assessing the feasibility of implementing lung cancer screening in the United Kingdom. By participating in the study, people determined to be at high risk for lung cancer will have an opportunity to undergo lung cancer screening with low dose computed tomography (LDCT) and will have access to resources for smoking cessation through the NHS in the United Kingdom. In the United States, LDCT is recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for people at high risk for lung cancer due to current or former smoking. However, currently in the United Kingdom, LDCT is not widely used as a screening tool.

“Lung Cancer Alliance has been at the forefront of early detection of lung cancer for more than a decade with our work getting low dose CT (LDCT) screening approved as a covered preventive service in the United States,” said Jennifer C. King, PhD, Director of Science and Research. “We are excited to partner with GRAIL, UCL and UCLH on the SUMMIT study, which will not only bring LDCT screening to study participants in the UK who are at high risk of lung cancer, but will also advance our understanding of how to detect cancer early using a blood test. Lung Cancer Alliance knows that early detection of lung cancer saves lives and we envision a future where blood-based testing can both complement LDCT and potentially catch lung cancer early in those who are not currently eligible for screening.”

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